ROCKIN' AND ROLLIN' ON THE NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN, FOG, AND MARITIME LAW

Thursday, August 27, 2026
North Atlantic Ocean/Sapphire Princess
63F and rainy--and fog

The Internet is sketchy and sea days aren’t very exciting. Tonight the ship is reacting to the swells of the ocean, but we are fine. At noon the captain said the depth of the ocean was 3,000 ft. at that time, and that we have 1,150 miles to go to Sydney.

A couple of different things in the past two days:

A trip to the Medical Center

The changes in temperature, the lack of sleep, the rigorous schedule, all took their toll. We both had colds, but TK’s was worse. So yesterday: Hundreds of dollars later, and a couple of medications, TK is doing much better thankfully. We could not believe the medical center—it looks like a “real” hospital! The area was much larger than I would have thought, with several examination rooms, a front desk area, and the doctor’s office—that is what we could see.  I clicked a photo but did not want to be too obvious. The obligatory Covid test—negative, no temperature, and vitals normal, a consultation with the woman doctor from the Netherlands, some meds, and we were on our way.

Exam Room--TK had to wear a mask 

until the Covid test result-negative

The Styling Salon

Today the big excitement was a trip to the salon---I don’t usually do that on cruises, but TK had onboard credit for his military service, and his Carnival stock ownership, so he invited me to indulge. That was a treat, as the salon was on Deck 14, overlooking the sea. Hairstylist Jessie was from South Africa/New Zealand, now living in London. We had a mutual interest in history and talked about World War I and such.

View from the styling chair

One half of the salon

The Laundry Room

Even though we have free laundry service, I elected to wash a few things--each deck has a "laundromat,"  $3 for wash and $3 for dry.  The one on our deck is quite close to our stateroom.

Dryers on top, washers on the bottom

Coin machine on right

Another set of both opposite 

Ironing boards with irons

The obligatory fire extinguisher and blanket

One set of washers and dryers in the background

8 washers, 8 dryers

An ordinary day.  We will arrive in Sydney, Canada on Monday, so 3 more restful days at sea.  Tonight we set the clock back another hour.  I think that puts us 3 hours away from EST.  This is another reason we like TransAtlantic cruises!

Update: 7:30 p.m. As I was writing, I heard the haunting sound of a foghorn blowing. I sped to the balcony door, opened the drape, and indeed, we cannot see past the balcony. I remembered my crew days on the U.S. Brig Niagara and found that the Sapphire Princess is blowing the foghorn every 2 minutes, just as we did on the Niagara while sailing on the Atlantic.  (Although we had to do it by hand on the Niagara) Not my favorite situation at sea.

From  https://lawshun.com/article/are-fog-horns-still-maritime-law

Fog horns, once a critical component of maritime safety, have long been mandated by international maritime law to prevent collisions in low-visibility conditions. While modern navigation technologies like radar, GPS, and AIS have significantly reduced reliance on auditory signals, fog horns remain legally required on many vessels as a backup safety measure. The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) still outline specific rules for their use, including sound patterns and durations based on vessel type and size. However, ongoing debates question whether these traditional systems are still necessary in an era of advanced technology, prompting discussions about potential updates to maritime regulations.

TK's Takes: Not so fun when the weather is cold/rainy. Everyone is inside. 

COBH, CORK, AND BLARNEY, IRELAND: MAKING THE BEST OF A RAINY DAY!

Tuesday, August 25
Cork (Cobh), County Cork, Ireland
60F and rainy

TK took this photo as we were

arriving in the port of Cobh

This colorful charming town--

a reason to explore the world!

Today the ship docked at Cobh, just 13 miles from Cork.  Cobh (pronounced Cove) is a colorful deepwater port and serves as a spectacular maritime entry point for Cork. This is our third visit to the area, so we easily went on our own to the nearby train station for tickets to Cork just as the train was arriving.

Not sure you can read this, but 

as far as I think I understand

they are required to put

both names in English and Gaelic

We really like Cork because of its true Irish atmosphere full of pubs, but today’s agenda was taking us to the woolen mills in Blarney.  Despite the cold and rain, we walked a short way to the bus station in Cork for tickets to Blarney. After a short wait we were on our way to Blarney.  Other cruise passengers had the same idea in mind, but they were prepared to kiss the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle.  In 2024 we opted out of that opportunity and really did damage to our pocketbook at the Blarney Woollen Mills and thought we might try that again! 

From the Cork Train Station we had a hefty walk to the bus stop to take us to Blarney.  

This was not our bus!

TK tried to capture a firetruck

Our comfy bus

The historic Blarney Woollen Mills was established in 1823 and originally used power from the River Martin to spin and weave wool and tweeds. It is a major family run Irish business. The colors and textures and variety of items are a sight to behold!  

https://www.blarney.com/ 

I spotted some sweaters in colors that I love and TK found a beautiful jacket that makes him look spiffy. He also opted for another flat-top hat!  We ended up having our items shipped home (no charge) and at the same time found out about the new U.S. tariff.

Which color do you think I bought??

After warming up in the woolen mill, we decided to make the trek home—bus from Blarney to train from Cobh this time. Raining more and colder yet—this could be Erie.

Scene looking out of the train window

This is a better photo of a city sign

in Gaelic and English

The Sapphire Princess 

awaits us!

Dear Readers, this was our day, not exciting---we are really anticipating the upcoming sea days—we have almost worn ourselves out.   It was another 11,000+ day, and TK, with his titanium pins and screws and plastic parts from ankle to knees to upper femur, trudged through.

TK’s Takes: He is resting now after dinner, will find out momentarily

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND WARMED US UP!

Monday, August 24, 2026
Liverpool, England
74F and sunny!!

The sun shined bright on a warm day as we stepped off the ship to waltz into Liverpool!  And Liverpool is a very convenient port—the main area of the city is within easy walking distance of the ship.  Another mixture of old and new, Liverpool is a dynamic maritime city famous for its music history and legendary football (aka soccer) culture.  Its population is around 518,000.  The main city sat just a short, easy walk away from the water.

Some fun facts: 

Old meets new in this busy sea town of 518,000 people. Here is what makes Liverpool special:

• The People: Residents are proudly called Liverpudlians.
• The Name: It comes from Old English. Lifer means muddy water, and pol means a small pool or creek.
• Chinatown: Europe's oldest Chinatown started here in the 1860s, built by arriving Chinese sailors.
• Hit Songs: Local music artists have produced more UK number-one singles than any other city in the country.
• Famous Faces: Home to the Beatles, Daniel Craig, and Stephen Graham.

This lovely building was the former

headquarters for the 

White Star Company (owned the Titanic)

Built 1896-1898/waterfront

Liverpool waterfront area

We took a nice walk along the waterfront into town, passing through the historic heart of the city's trade.  In 1715, Liverpool built the world’s first commercial enclosed wet dock.  By the 19th century, 40% of the entire world's trade passed right through these waters. The famous Royal Albert Dock opened in 1846 with a revolutionary fireproof design of iron, brick, and stone.  And this busy waterfront acted as the massive gateway where 9 million people emigrated from Europe to the New World.

Queen Victoria

After a leisurely walk,, our first stop was Dunkin for coffee—we have enjoyed VERY strong coffee in every port, but today we gave ourselves a break with Dunkin—and a toast to Friend J who also loves Dunkin coffee!

TK's choice-hazelnut filled donut

Next, we explored the giant shopping area, where the streets are completely closed to traffic so people can cross easily. The area has blocks of shops/stores/restaurants/banks/ cafes/department stores, and so much more.  We browsed a few shops with no purchases made--- I admit that I like big cities.   

Admittedly, we are totally unclear

as to why bicycles can zoom by

at any moment with

so many people walking

Since we visited Liverpool in 2024, Hotel Chocolat was on my mind, a coffee and chocolate shop.  I am wondering how well the chocolate raspberry “smoothies” that we purchased will make the voyage home.

Hotel Chocolat

British Cocoa Grower

Raspberry Smoothie

https://www.hotelchocolat.com/uk 

After a stop for a Coke Zero in a cute sidewalk cafe, we continued to Mathews Street, the famous Birthplace of the Beatles.

The original Cavern Club opened in a warehouse cellar in 1957 as a jazz venue styled after underground Paris clubs. It quickly transitioned to rock ‘n’ roll, and the Beatles played nearly 300 shows here between 1961 and 1963. It was in this music-filled basement that manager Brian Epstein first discovered the band in 1961. Though the original cellar was filled in during the 1970s, it was later rebuilt using 15,000 bricks saved from the original site. The entire street is dedicated to the Beatles!

Cavern Club

Cavern Pub

a play on Cavern Club

Sgt Peppers--another pub

Rubber Soul--another pub!

The Sign overhead says

"Birthplace of the Beatles"

More city views:

We circled back around the area, walking along the waterfront back to the ship. We have been averaging only 9,000-11,000 steps a day, but today was almost 15,000—and now I think we are definitely in shape for our 50 day cruise in October!

Who would expect the Santa Maria

to be in port??

On our way back to the ship, we saw the Santa Maria docked nearby—

And the Beatles said goodbye as we 

walked back to the ship!

Another great day in port!

TK’s Takes: Best day so far weatherwise! Liverpool is convenient to the port--everything right there. Dogs and seagulls today.

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND: MORE ROCKS AND MORE RUINS!

Sunday, August 23, 2026
Belfast, Ireland
64F and mostly cloudy, some sun

I keep wondering when we are going to get to a warm port. Today was not as cold as 2 days ago, but we dressed in layers again.  This morning was a 6 a.m. wake up so we could be at the port for our private tour to Giants Causeway. I think I am going to need to learn how to write a shorter blog—you probably think I include every photo that I take, but I do not!!  I have gotten very good at shooting pix out of bus windows. At least I think so. I have been disappointed in my photography skills—at one time I switched to my Android phone for two days but went back to the DSLR for what I thought were better photos.

So today, since we have already visited Belfast (2024) and the fabulous Titanic Museum, as well as St. George’s Market, we opted for a Giant's Causeway tour. More rocks and ruins!

Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland is a world-renowned cruise destination famous for its maritime history, vibrant street art, and warm hospitality. Docking at the Belfast Cruise Terminal put us right at the doorstep of the city's spectacular industrial shipyard heritage, most notably as the birthplace of the RMS Titanic.  Belfast has an urban population of approximately 345,000 residents, with the greater metropolitan area encompassing around 675,000 people.  Northern Ireland has a population of 1.5 million people. 

Today our tour was with Best Price Shore Excursions (which was probably part of Viator). Our tour guide was Angelina, a native of County Antrim/Belfast. I asked her if she watched the BBC TV show, Derry Girls, because her humor reminded me of the characters in that show. She did watch the show and attended an all-girls Catholic school too!

By 8:30 a.m. off we went on a comfortable bus into the countryside of Northern Island along the North Antrim Coast. The Irish landscape that we saw today was not as rocky as the Outer Hebrides.  Hedge fences and stone fences dotted the countryside, some were pastures for sheep, others for cattle. Pine and maple trees, patches of peat. There were a lot more sheep in the pastures today.

Irish Gaelic is the native language, mixed in with Scot Gaelic, and Hibernian English. Angelina was easy to understand most of the time! She spoke of how superstitious the Irish are and that they truly believe in fairies. She showed us a few Fairy Trees along the route, and people do not dare do anything to harm them. (mostly black or white Hawthorne, some maple). Such trees stand alone in a pasture or property. Of course, I did not get a photo of any fairy tree.

Irish history is certainly convoluted, and it is difficult to put it all together—she spoke briefly of the past 1000 years. Currently Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom--monetary system is the Pound Sterling. Ireland is part of the European Union--monetary system is Euros.

She did speak of the “Potato Blight” or “Great Hunger” of the 1840s.  They do not call it famine because there was plenty of food. The renters had to pay the landowners with their crops and livestock which were exported from Ireland during the famine. The refusal of London to ban such exports was a continuing source of controversy.  It is probably this situation which contributed to the Irish issue in British politics, the anti-British sentiment, intensifying Irish nationalism, and the desire for independence. It certainly was a turning point.

Our first stop was Dunluce Castle, first built by the Anglo Normans. Subsequently many chieftains/clans lived in the castle until it was abandoned in 1690.  It is thought to be the inspiration for Cair Paravel in Chronicles of Narnia. Exterior shots were used in Game of Thrones for Pyke, House of Greyjoy. In 1973 its image was used in the inner fold of the Led Zeppelin album, Houses of the Holy.

Dunluce Castle ruins

Dunluce  Castle-closer

According to legend, an Irish Giant and a Scottish Giant Giants Causeway were building a stone bridge to confront each other. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant%27s_Causeway    In reality, the Giant’s Causeway is an area of approximately 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption during the Paleogene period, 50-60 million years ago. Supposedly the cold air caused the unusual result.  This unique feature is one of Ireland’s most iconic places where myth and geology intertwine!

Neither TK nor I played on the rocks

TK makes a perfect model!

As rocks go, they are pretty cool!

I am so glad that we took a shuttle to the Causeway, a mile downhill (1 pound/each) That meant we could take the shuttle back uphill. I need to retain my energy!  That also meant we had enough energy to have coffee and sweets at the nearby hotel—a rather posh hotel!

A tidy breakfast: raspberry scone, clotted cream,

strawberry jam, butter, and black coffee

Sticky toffee pudding for TK

I wonder why no one in our group wanted to try the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge that connects the mainland to Carrick-a-Rede, a tiny island. I could see stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean without doing that! The first rope bridge was built over 350 years ago by salmon fishermen, a part of the local salmon fishing heritage

Rope Bridge

(that's an 80 ft. drop by the way)

Unidentified island near Carrick-a-Rede

Our final stop was Ballycastle, a small seaside town with great restaurants. We enjoyed fish ‘n’ chips here, fresh haddock from the sea!

Our view while waiting to eat at Salt House

Fish n Chips at Salt House Restaurant

Ballycastle, Ireland

some fries are missing

Our view from inside Salt House Restaurant

Entrance and landscape

Closeup-Identified by TK's app as Agapanthus

Finally, we took a tour of the area of great unrest in Belfast---even today one of the streets has its side’s views, and the opposite has other views.  Angelina said that when she was 11 years old (in 1969) she was sent to live with a family (not her own) to be safe, and our bus driver said he was 9 and was sent to Boston.  This period was called the “Troubles.”  The wall art on both sides of the street were remarkable. TK took a few photos. I do not think every Belfast visitor sees this. Angelina said there is still controversy, and it isn’t over religion—some want to be  united with Ireland again, and others want to stay with the UK.

"The Ulster State

Their footprints and songs

The Appalachian Trail"

--an example of the wall art--

It was a good day in Belfast!

TK’s Takes: No swimming pools today, but some very nice single family homes. He has never seen so much livestock in two days, sheep, cattle, one pig, some horses—mostly sheep, and no goats. He is a city boy after all.  Giant’s Causeway is a good place to exercise if you want to exercise.